European running Challenge

 Sunday 28th October 2018 Ljubljana Half Marathon  Slovenia No 18 Will have to be rescheduled due to stay in hospital!!!

It was never going to easy. After Amsterdam we had done 17 half marathons and 7 in a row. On Wednesday 24th October I did a talk at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club on our experiences so far. I was nervous but got good feedback and everyone liked the content. With a lack of technology I reverted to old fashioned methods and it seemed to work. It was far from perfect but I think I just got away with it and can certainly improve on what was a first time effort. Then our first major problem I hadn't been feeling great and on Wednesday 24th October I went to the doctors and he did a blood test . I got a call on Thursday 25th saying my kidney function had fallen from 90 to 40 . Nothing to worry about but he booked me in same day at North Manchester Hospital for further investigation and further blood tests . We waited nearly all day at the hospital and the outcome was that they wanted me to return the following day for a CT scan . Another full day at the hos

Sunday 21st October 2018 Amsterdam Half Marathon No17 Richard 02:06:43 Jackie 02:10:35 I was asked recently by a non runner how the runs were timed and explained there was a chip in the bib  that was activated by a mat when crossing the start line and then at 5km 10km 15km 20km and the finish . He was impressed but amazed when I told him that  within 10 seconds of finishing you receive a text with all these stats. Not that it 7happens with all races but certainly in Amsterdam .Amsterdam was a big event 58,000 participants over 2 days .13,000 on the Saturday and 45,000 on the Sunday. It's a fast course good road surface and flat. Jackie was on top form and got a PB which she was delighted with . There was something very special about this run and it was the finish in the Olympic Stadium . With 2km to go I got a genuine feeling of excitement which grew as we got closer to the stadium . Entering the stadium and hitting the track was a experience I will never forget and cou

Sunday 14th October 2018 Sofia Half Marathon  No 16  Richard 02:14:17 Jackie 02:20:21 Sofia was now our 6th half marathon since the 2nd September .September and October were always going to be the months that would make or break the challenge . Firstly it is when a lot of the races are scheduled plus now the weather was starting to cool down . We had  one a week booked for 8 weeks on the trot and by the time Sofia came round we were feeling the strain .On top of the races there was the travelling and the sightseeing . Sofia was extra hard as we had a late flight on the Saturday and had arranged to pick up our bibs before the race on the Sunday which started at 10.am . As the flight arrived after midnight we opted to stay at an airport hotel and were up very early to get a taxi to registration . The start of the race was at the National Stadium named after a famous Bulgarian revolutionary hero Vasil Levski.  There was a 10.5 km 21.00 km and 42km with 10.50 race one lap the half

Sunday 7th October 2018 Kosice Half Marathon 2018 Slovakia No 15 Richard 01:57:02 Jackie 02:14:41 Did you know ?  In terms of the number of years held, this marathon is the oldest in Europe and the sixth-oldest in the world. The first marathon was held in 1924 and was run by 8 participants. Inspired by marathon race in the Paris Olympic games in 1924, Vojtech Braun Bukovský (a sports enthusiast and journalist) organized this marathon. The marathon takes place each year on the first October Sunday. The 94th  edition of this marathon was held on 7th October 2018 . Oldest     Boston        1897   New York   1907  (revived 1935)   Greater Manchester Run 1908 (revived 2012)   The Comrades Marathon 1921 South Africa    Kosice Peace Marathon   1924 The run starts in the center and is a big deal in Kosice and running the course it felt like the whole city was on the streets supporting us . The half marathon is one  lap and the marathon runners go round tw